Meetings to move to remote in red as case numbers grow

To help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and to keep staff and Kāpiti Coast communities safe, the Council has made the decision to hold all Council, Committee and Community Board meetings remotely until further notice.

Effective from yesterday, Council meetings will not be held in person while the Kāpiti Coast is at ‘red’ on the COVID-19 Protection Framework.

Mayor K Gurunathan says the decision to move meetings online was prompted by the arrival of the Omicron variant in the Wellington region.

“With the growing number of confirmed active cases in the Wellington region we have to accept the fact that COVID-19 is here and is likely to become more prevalent in our communities over the coming weeks.

“Council’s top priority throughout this pandemic has been to protect staff and the wider Kāpiti Coast community. Now that COVID-19 is on our doorstep, our efforts to minimise the spread are critical. 

“While conducting meetings remotely isn’t always ideal, it’s a simple way for us to keep staff and the wider public safe. Hearing from our community is still very important to us so we encourage you to stay informed and take part online. 

“All Council and Committee meetings are livestreamed on our website, or you can watch them at a later date on our YouTube page. You can also register to speak at meetings, this must be done in advance by no later than the day before the scheduled meeting.

“Community Board meetings will not be livestreamed at this stage but they will be recorded and available to watch on our YouTube page following each meeting.”

The Mayor says that for now online meetings will be our ‘new normal’ but Council will continue to evaluate the appropriateness of the remote settings as the external environment and case numbers change.

“As long as staff and elected members are well, meetings will continue. Omicron isn’t something we can control but Council has contingency plans in place and is working hard to keep things open and ticking over.  

“I continue to ask that people be patient and kind as Council adjusts to these new settings. If you’d like more information on Council meetings and our other service and facilities, please visit the Council’s website kapiticoast.govt.nz.”